1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an ink composition and an ink jet recording method using the ink.
2. Related Art
An ink jet recording method that records images and letters by discharging minute ink droplets from nozzles of an ink jet recording head has been mainly employed for recording on surfaces of ink-absorbing recording media such as paper. Ink compositions widely used in such an ink jet recording method contain various coloring materials such as dyes and/or pigments dissolved or dispersed in a mixture of an organic solvent having a high boiling point and water. The high boiling point organic solvent has low volatility and high water-holding capacity and thereby contributes to preventing nozzles of an ink jet recording head from drying.
There is a demand for an ink composition that is applicable to recording by the ink jet recording method on non-ink-absorbing or low-ink-absorbing recording media such as printing paper, synthetic paper, and films, as well as on water-absorbable recording media such as paper. Responding to such a demand, some ink compositions applicable to recording on non-ink-absorbing or low-ink-absorbing recording media have been proposed (for example, see JP-A-2007-217671, JP-A-2008-101192, and JP-A-2009-67909).
Unfortunately, these ink compositions contain high boiling point organic solvents, and thereby drying of inks tends to be slow when applied to recording on a non-ink-absorbing or low-ink-absorbing recording medium. As a result, the abrasion resistance of recorded images and letters decreases, and also uneven density defects tend to occur in areas to which large amounts of inks are applied, such as solid areas.
However, ink compositions not containing high boiling point organic solvents cannot prevent nozzles of an ink jet recording head from drying and tend to cause clogging of nozzles. In addition, the storage stability of inks tends to decrease.